When Magic Vanished
by Unsubstantiated Assertion
Summary: Magic vanished from the world without warning and for no apparent reason two days after Ezran departed back to Katolis. The world is plunged into chaos and war. A decade later, Callum and Rayla finally return from Xadia to save their newborn daughter's life. Ezran comes to believe they may have also brought the first step towards peace, and maybe something more.
1. A Dark and Stormy Afternoon

_**This story in inspired by the opening to the novel "Seveneves," which reads "The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason." No explanation is ever given for why the moon exploded, just as there will be no explanation for what happened to magic. Its also my attempt at a multi-chapter and serious, non-jokey story. That being said it won't be particularly long. This isn't about why magic went away or everything that happened, just how the world reacted and one important moment in that significantly different timeline. My best guess for length is around three chapters.**_

* * *

Magic vanished from the world without warning and for no apparent reason two days after Ezran began his journey back to Katolis. One minute it was there, the next it ceased to be. The elves and dragons noticed immediately. Each one across Xadia felt an instant sensation of loss as their connection to their arcanum was severed. Mages in the Pentarchy took slightly more time to realized what had changed. It was only on their next attempts to use dark magic that they would discover something was wrong. Viren, on the other hand, realized instantly when the caterpillar lodged in his ear shriveled up and fell out. He was being detained in the same spot he had previously chained up Gren. Those same chains prevented him from grabbing the dead caterpillar to inspect it. He didn't need to, however, as more clarifying changes happened in the following seconds.

The guards posted to keep watch over Viren screamed when, in the next room over, the confiscated mirror shattered and a startouch elf was left lying on the floor. A sack of coins exploded and released a moonshadow elf. He was unarmed, and though the strange binding on his arm had fallen away, the damage done to it left him greatly weakened. The guards could have easily subdued Runaan had they not been in shock from whatever had just occurred. All too quickly Runaan had taken one of the guard's swords and fought his way out. If not for the rush to escape and warn Xadia of the mirror, he would have stopped to kill Viren, or better still, realize that his warning would be meaningless now. When Aaravos gained his bearings, he released Viren from his shackles and they tried to escape as well. But they were mages, and without magic they had little means to resist the guards who had been roused by Runaan's attack.

Soren realized magic was gone instantaneously as well. The spell that had healed his body wore off and he was sent tumbling to the ground. Claudia spent days trying to repeat the spell before Soren forced her stop. He had seen enough dead fawns for one lifetime. Unable to travel, they chose to remain in the village. Claudia would provide her knowledge of potions and rare ingredients to assist those injured in the dragon attack in exchange for housing. To her continued confusion, many of the rarer ingredients no longer had any effect.

Thankfully, Ezran and Corvus had already parted ways with the banthers by then. Otherwise they would have been in serious trouble as Ezran's ability to speak with them vanished. The connection between himself and Zym was gone as well, though it took time to be certain, as the connection and how it worked were still new to him. A week later they arrived at the castle to find utter chaos. Word had spread that magic no longer worked. Viren and Aaravos had been freed, though kept under constant watch, to lend their expertise on magic. Both were at a loss. Ezran was officially crowned king and thrust into handling one of the strangest catastrophes in recorded history. By then he excepted his connection with Zym was almost certainly gone, and thus his only ability to know what had become of Callum or Rayla. Even in this magic-less world, he couldn't risk alerting anyone to their task and so forced himself to wait for a sign. When they returned Zym to his mother, Ezran reasoned, it would be the only news spreading faster than the disappearance of magic. He would hear from them, or even see them, in only a matter of time. That didn't happen. Months passed, but he held out hope.

While Ezran adjusted to life as a king, the rest of the world failed to adjust to life without magic. The elves blamed the Pentarchy for what had happened. Obviously it was due to the humans' dark magic, intentional or not. The Pentarchy blamed the elves, that they must have done something to further deprive humanity of magic and accidentally effected themselves as well. Neither side fully believed either explanation. Still it was enough for both to justify an escalation of the war. Within months, armed conflicts broke out across the border. By the year's end, sunfire forces were pushing deep in human territory. The elves were confident the odds were in their favor, but they had yet to realize just how dependent on magic they had been. It wasn't just mages who were left powerless. Sunforge weapons lost their potency. Moonshadow elves could no longer turn invisible under the full moon. Even the dragons, while still giant flying reptiles with all the might that entails, were significantly weaker without their primal source derived abilities.

The combined might of the Pentarchy pushed back. Aaravos, though his knowledge of Xadia was significantly out of date, provided vital information that allowed equally massive gains on the Xadian side of the border in return for continued amnesty. He knew the elves and dragons would never forgive him, so why not back the other side? Ezran didn't trust Aaravos, nor Viren, whose freedom was arranged as a condition by Aaravos, but he needed all the advantages he could get in a war rapidly intensifying. If Zym had reached the Dragon Queen, it had made no difference, and Ezran was forced to assume to worst as to his brother and Rayla's fates. For years there was a constant back and forth push as territories were claimed and towns were razed. Massive losses piled up for each side. One would be hard pressed to find someone in any corner of the Pentarchy or Xadia who hadn't felt the effects of the war, even if just by knowing someone who had.

Six years after magic vanished, Katolis fell. As the kingdom closest to Xadia it had born the brunt of the attacks from the beginning, but when word reached Xadia that Aaravos was alive and assisting the humans, it galvanized the elven forces like nothing else. The castle fell amidst a final stand by General Amaya. Her sacrifice allowed King Ezran and some members of the royal court to escape in secret. They took shelter in nearby Duren, where Queen Aanya offered them sanctuary just as Katolis once offered them support. What remained of the army soon joined them, as did refugees fleeing from the towns left unguarded by the fall of Katolis. Among those refugees was Claudia, now a trained healer and alchemist. Soren was not with her.

For the next four years, Ezran stayed in Duren's capital, a King in Exile overseeing the remnants of Katolis and commanding the last of his forces in the war. He still didn't fully trust Viren, and Aanya really didn't trust him. Neither cared for Aaravos, who seemed to be pleased with the outcome of every battle no matter what said outcome actually was. It unsettled Ezran but he had little room to argue. Aaravos' information on Xadian culture and tactics proved vital, and the Pentarchy avenged Katolis with great gains on the other side of the Breach. The Pentarchy started calling the freshly claimed territory "New Katolis," but it was still too much of a war zone to risk setting up a proper capital. Ezran and the court remained in Duren. There was no sign of the war ending. Commoners and nobles alike would sardonically joke the war wouldn't stop until everyone on both sides was dead. The rulers feared it was true. No one could imagine anything which would be able to stop the fighting.

* * *

It was not a dark and stormy night, though one would not be remiss for thinking it was. While it was only one in the afternoon, the storm lashing Duren's castle had blackened the sky darker than even natural night did. Rain did not pour so much as it flooded, and lightning struck every minute. Hard hitting drops of rain and long echoing thunder left it impossible to hear anything that might try to enter the castle. The guards were on high alert, but would have been on higher alert if they didn't know that even Xadian forces would never risk being caught out in such a storm themselves. Aaravos sat in his chambers, a sparsely furnished room with only a bed and a writing desk. It was nothing compared to the room in his mirror, and he wasn't all that much more "free" out here than he had been while trapped inside. Despite his current state and the dismal weather, Aaravos was smiling. He stared out through the window from his bed and waited. He had been waiting like this for the past two hours, when the storm had begun. Aaravos wasn't entirely sure what he was waiting for. He just knew it would be worth it.

He thought he heard something. Scrabbling at the roof's shingles. Maybe a hook embedding itself in the stone. Aaravos leaned closer to the window. Nothing happened. While his hearing was sensitive, it wasn't foolproof. In all likelihood the sound was either in his head or something dislodged by the rain hitting against the wall on its fall down. Aaravos smirked and leaned in towards the window. Still nothing.

A four fingered hand shot up and slammed against the window with a wet thump. It tried to find purchase but the rain slick glass was offering none. The hand lost its grip and fell, only to clutch down on the windowsill now that Aaravos had pulled the window open hard enough to shatter the glass. He grasped the hand and pulled its owner inside, until they collapsed on the floor in a rapidly spreading puddle. The intruder clambered to their feet.

Aaravos did not know this person. She was a moonshadow elf, wearing a sodden hood and clutching the hilts of a pair of curved blades in her left hand. He couldn't begin to imagine why she was here, though he had several ideas. She was just as confused to find an elf. If the lighting had been better and she wasn't running on Adrenalin and nothing else, she might have realized this must be the feared and hated Aaravos. She would have reconsidered her plan and fled out the window. Luckily, she didn't realize. Instead she stared at him while passing one of the blades to her empty hand.

Aaravos pointed to the door. "There is a guard outside. I will distract him. Go down the hall, take a left, down the spiral staircase two floors. You will find King Ezran there." He walked to the door, his eyes never leaving the intruder. He knocked and watched her hide behind the writing desk.

"What?"

"Something struck my window, breaking the glass. It's letting the rain in."

The guard pushed the door open. "Don't see why that's my problem," He grumbled while inspecting the damage. Aaravos wasn't allowed to have anything qualifying as a weapon, and the guard deemed some of those glass shards big enough to count. "Alright. Come with me and I'll find somewhere to put you until its fixed."

Aaravos bowed graciously. He watched the intruder sneak past the guard from the corner of his eye. She vanished into the hall, her footsteps silent. Aaravos had no clue what would happen next, and he couldn't wait to find out.

* * *

Ezran was in the throne room. Aanya's throne room, technically. While Ezran "ruled" from this castle for the better part of four years he still didn't consider it home or want to impose on Aanya's authority. He still spent much of his time there. At the moment, he and Aanya had just finished ironing out the mixture of troop deployments for a battlefield deep in earthblood elf territory, the farthest east front in the war. As with all such discussions it had turned to "how many soldiers from Duren should go for every one from Katolis." There were so few left, leaving Ezran alternately ashamed at being able to contribute so little to Duren and ashamed for risking even more of his people's lives.

A figure darted into the throne room in hot pursuit by several crownguards. She ran with her head down and arms out behind her in a way Ezran found curiously familiar in the half a moment he had to react. The figure skidded to a stop in from him. By this point Ezran and Aanya had started to draw their own swords. The state of the world necessitated royalty to be armed at all times. Harrow wasn't the only king felled by assassins in the last decade.

Before either could strike or the guards could reach her the intruder cried out, "Ezran!"

Ezran froze at the sound of her voice. He raised his hand for everyone to hold their attacks. The intruder threw her blades to the ground and dropped to her knees. She pulled down her hood then kept her hands raised in the air.

"...Rayla?"

"Yes," she nodded. "It's so good to see ya." She was breathing hard, as if she was more than just winded from breaking in.

Ezran dropped his sword. "You're alive! Is Callum alive? Do you know where he is? Is he okay? Is he with you?"

"He's... at the front gate... waitin' for the signal."

Aanya stepped between Ezran and Rayla. Her sword was lowered by still grasped tightly in her hand. "_What_ signal?"

"You meetin' him there." She wobbled off balance. "If ya don't get there soon... I told him to run and-" she fell over, unconscious.

"Get her to Claudia! But keep a crownguard with them at all times!" Aanya commanded. The crownguards who had previously been chasing Rayla now picked her up to carry to the infirmary. They were incredibly confused, but trusted their queen enough not to question it.

Ezran was already headed to the gate.

"It could be a trap!" Aanya called out to him.

"I know and I don't care!" Ezran replied without stopping. Aanya retrieved his abandoned sword and chased after him.

Aanya reached the gate shortly after Ezran, where he had already shoved past the guards and one confused steward to throw the doors open. Rain spilled in and the wind chilled everyone to the bone. It was not the sort of weather anyone would be waiting outside in.

"Callum!" Ezran cried out and waited for anyone to appear. "Callum!"

Lightning struck the nearby hillside, creating an almost blinding flash. In the split second it passed, a hunched over figure shambled out from the other side of the open gate where he hid. The figure wore a cloak and hood of the same design as Rayla's, though it was bunched up near the chest as if being held shut. The cloak relaxed just enough for an arm to emerge and pull the hood down.

"Callum!" Ezran cried as he pulled his brother in from the storm. "You grew a beard!"

"It's not so much I _grew_ one as I haven't had a chance to shave in over a month." Callum smiled. There might have been tears in his eyes, but he was too soaked from the rain to be certain. He stumbled forward but Ezran and Aanya caught him before he could fall.

Callum continued to hunch over almost as if he was shielding something.

"What happened? Where have you been all these years? Did you return Zym to his mother?"

"I'll explain later. Is Rayla okay?"

"She's..."

"She's unconscious," Aanya answered. "She's being seen to by one of our best healers." She was still suspicious, but seeing Ezran's reaction to both of them had calmed her fears somewhat. Ezran clearly trusted them, and she trusted Ezran's judgment in people.

"Thank you." Callum stood up and released his grip on the cloak. Ezran's suspicions were correct, Callum was holding a bundle of red cloth tightly to his chest. While taller than when they had last seen each other, Callum was nearly as scrawny as Ezran remembered. "Now," he paused to cough, "you have to take her to your healer too."

"Her?"

He withdrew the bundle and pressed it into Ezran's arms. Belatedly, Ezran realized that it was Callum's scarf. Swaddled within was what Ezran suspected and feared would be: a baby. She had a mop of brown hair and very light purple skin. Tiny nubs poked out from the hair just above her temples, and her right arm stuck out, showing five fingers on the hand. The baby was fast asleep, something Ezran found hard to believe was possible given the commotion. At least he hoped she was just asleep.

"Callum, who is this?" Ezran asked as if he didn't already know the answer. It was obvious from the child's features, but he needed to hear it from Callum himself.

"Her name is Sera, she's my and Rayla's daughter. She's sick."

* * *

_**Sera is named after a character from the video game Dragon Age: Inquisition, who is an elf that dislikes elven culture and prefers to live among humans. I thought it would be funny to use that name for a character who is literally half elf/half human. **_


	2. Reunion

**_I just realized the first chapter (well the last third) is basically a darker version of my the last half of my earlier story, "We're a Family Now." That was not intentional but I have now decided it was officially this AU's version of that moment. Constants and variables._**

**_I've increased the rating to teen, though I'm not 100% sure about it. There's no objectionable content in the form of swearing, or graphic depictions of violence, etc, but it is a darker story than "g-rated" fair would have and implications as to what's wrong with Rayla are severe. Let me know if this is the correct course of action or if its not enough to warrant a teen rating._**

* * *

Ezran had the confused steward he'd almost knocked over escort Callum to the guest quarters were he could get cleaned up and into dry clothes. After apologizing, of course. Then he personally took Sera to the infirmary. She still hadn't roused from her slumber but Ezran could hear the soft sounds of her breathing. Aanya was off holding an emergency meeting of the staff to prevent the spread of rumors. It had only been about five minutes at most, but word was spreading about the intruder in the throne room. Ezran imagined those nearest the castle gate were already telling their coworkers about the returned prince and the strange child he brought with him.

He reached the infirmary, kept on the lower levels of the castle to prevent the spread of infection from the sick to the healthy. Aside from some veteran soldiers having their wounds treated, the infirmary had been empty, and even those had been cleared out by the time Ezran arrived. Another stroke of good fortune. He didn't want to see how old soldiers would react to an elf being brought in for treatment. Claudia stood with her back to him in the far corner of the room. He could just make out Rayla's unconscious form laid out on a cot behind Claudia.

"You don't wanna see this," she said without looking. "Especially if who I'm talking to is a guy."

"It's me," Ezran said.

"Oh! Hey, Ez," Claudia waved with the back of her hand, still facing away. She leaned down to inspect Rayla. "I can't believe its really her. The guards who brought her said Callum's here too. Is it true?" She reached over to grab a potion bottle and some suture thread from a nearby bed stand.

"Yeah, he is. And so is-"

"I'm really happy but can we talk later? It's not life-or-death or anything, but its closer than I'd like and I need to focus."

"But what I have to tell you _is_ life-or-death-"

Claudia uncapped the potion bottle. Ezran couldn't see what she was doing with it, but he could hear its contents trickling out.

"Look, I get it. I'm so happy I could scream and I really want to but I'm trying to stay professional because Rayla's really sick. She's got a fever and malnutrition and there's tearing..." Claudia rambled on. Ezran wondered if this nervous rambling was because he distracted her or if she was always like this when working. They were equally possible in his mind. "Anyway, I'll spare you the details but I think she... gave birth recently."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you."

That got Claudia to turn and face him. Her eyes widened at the sight of the bundle Ezran was carrying. She set down the empty potion bottle, pocketed the suture thread, and power walked towards him.

"There's something wrong with her. She's still breathing, but she won't wake up."

Claudia gingerly took Sera from Ezran. "I'm more of a general practitioner, not really an expert with babies. But I'll do everything I can. I already asked for a midwife when I realized the... nature of her injuries." Claudia involuntarily cringed.

She took a moment to inspect the infant. "No signs of trauma... Aw, she's got Callum's hair!"

"You don't sound surprised."

"I only knew Rayla for what, two days, back then and I still had my suspicions."

Ezran chuckled. "Me too. I'm so glad they're alive."

Claudia smiled at him. "And I'll make sure they stay that way."

"You should probably go now." Claudia walked to the next nearest cot and set Sera down. She took the suture thread from her pocket. "You really don't want to see what I have to do next."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Ezran was summoned to the guest room where Callum had been placed. He was ready to talk. Ezran found him sitting at the foot of the bed, bracing his hands on his knees. Callum had been given fresh clothes, a warm bath, and a shave. Without the beard he looked so much closer to the Callum that Ezran remembered. It also showed how gaunt his face had become. Between that and his frame, Ezran realized Callum wasn't scrawny, he was starving. He closed the door and sat down next to Callum on the bed.

"So..."

"So..." Callum answered.

Neither were sure what to say.

Ezran tried to lead with something happy. There had been enough sadness. "...you and Rayla?"

Callum sighed fondly. "I guess that must be pretty shocking for you."

"No, not really."

Callum nudged Ezran in the side. "She's the only thing that kept me going through all of this. Now her and Sera. How are they?"

"They're still being treated. I'll let you know when you can see them."

Ezran stared Callum in the face. "What happened? Where were you for all these years."

"I can't tell you everything. There's a lot I don't think I can ever talk about." He leaned back and began his tale.

"So we crossed the border and immediately ran into Sol Regem, the Archdragon of the Sun. That'sa whole story itself. But... it doesn't really matter because two days later _it_ happened. One minute we're walking through a canyon and the next it feels like I had something ripped out of me. It felt stronger for Rayla, I guess because arcana effect elves more physically. Zym was acting strange too. I tried to calm him down and noticed his lightning kisses were just regular kisses. That day was rough. I had finally figured out magic, found something I was good at. Then it was taken from me! I was just dead weight."

"No you weren't," Ezran interrupted. "You still managed to survive ten years out there _without_ magic. And you've got other skills."

"That reminds me," Callum grabbed a small leather bound book he'd kept half-hidden under his leg. "I still have this. It can explain what we went through better than I ever could."

He handed Ezran the sketchbook but stopped short of letting go. "Actually, I just remembered there are a couple sections I have to tear out first." He pulled it back while blushing.

Ezran opened his mouth but the question died on his lips. "I don't wanna know, do I?" He asked instead.

"Nope."

Callum hid the sketchbook under his leg again. "Rayla said pretty much the same thing. About magic, not the sketchbook. She offered to teach me how to use her blades while we traveled. I didn't want to, but I took her up on it since I wanted to contribute something other than telling the Dragon Queen 'look at me! I, a human, brought your son back! We're not all bad! Even though the elf did all the work.' By the time we made it to her lair I wasn't much better, we kept up the training afterwards though. I'm still not good in a fight, but I'm better than I ever thought I would be. I can even sweep the leg."

"So _did_ return Zym to his mother!"

"Yep, and it didn't do a thing. She was very grateful, but the Dragonguard were not. By that point the fighting had started. Any good that came from Zym was nothing compared to the war at the Breach. I left before they could find an excuse to kill me. Rayla came with me. I told her not to, I was going back to Katolis and she would be safe here rather than a fugitive there. She called me a dummy and said I was going to die if I tried to get back on my own, and that she was going where I was going regardless. We fought about it, said some stuff, things came out, and then..."

Ezran grinned. "Sandwiches?"

"I can't believe you still remember that." Callum rolled his eyes. "From that point on we decided wherever we were going, we'd stay together. Its not like there was anywhere that would accept a human and elf by that point. We just kept moving. Xadia was in chaos, there were riots and armed patrols, people trying to figure out what happened to magic and how they could bring it back. It actually made it easier to sneak through towns because everyone was so preoccupied. Then the war really intensified and panicking people were replaced by soldiers. We started avoiding the cities at all costs.

"Sometimes we'd find people willing to help. Giving us shelter for a few days or helping us escape a battlefield. We tried to help anyone we could in return. After three years going from place to place we ended up near the Dragon Queen's lair again by chance and decided to check on Zym. Before you ask, I don't know if he's alive or not. All I know is that it was abandoned except for the Dragon Queen and she was... I don't how or why it happened. There had been a battle but there was so little left I'm not sure who was fighting who. We decided to go deeper into Xadia, search for one of Rayla's uncles who she thought might be willing to help us.

"He was, but her other uncle happened to be Runaan, the guy who killed King-, I mean, dad. He's a hero over there now, they call him 'the Kingslayer.' He thinks its a stupid name. Runaan didn't like me and he probably still doesn't, but he let us stay for Rayla's sake. That lasted less than a week. It turned out Runaan's fame meant he had high ranking elves visiting often and it was safer for everyone if we left. The day before we set out happened to be my eighteenth birthday, so at least we didn't spend that hiding in cave like we'd done the other three I'd had since all this started.

"That evening Rayla told me: 'we've spent every day for the last three and a half years thinking we'd probably be dead by the end of it, and one day that'll come true. We might be young, but we also might be dead tomorrow. So maybe we should just get it over with and get married.' Moonshadow weddings are small, private ceremonies. It was just us, a 'moon druid,' and Rayla's other uncle. You know, I never actually learned his name, everyone just calls him Tinker. Runaan said he wanted to be there but couldn't risk being seen. We spent our honeymoon skirting a battlefield that opened up on the outskirts of the town, Runaan lead the defense and won. I still don't know whether that's a good thing or not.

"Xadia wasn't safe and meeting what little family Rayla had made me homesick. We thought about trying to see how things were on the other side of the Breach, maybe even find you. Runaan and Tinker shared what they had heard about Katolis with us, but it wasn't much. Crossing the Breach was... actually it was easier _and_ harder than the first time. A bunch of bridges and paths have been carved for armies on both sides to march through, but that meant we also had to sneak past the soldiers. I thought if Lujanne was okay we could stay at the Moon Nexus and wait for a good time to try and let you know we were alive. It took a couple weeks to get there on foot. When we did..."

Callum grimaced. He inhaled and exhaled in a practiced manner. "I said there were some things I'm not ready to talk about. That's one of them."

"We stayed in what was left of the Moon Nexus for the rest of the year. Ellis found us there and even brought us food every once and awhile so we didn't always have to eat grubs. She was guilty about what happened to Lujanne, but it wasn't her fault. The town started to catch on and we left as soon as possible. Never got a chance to say bye to Ellis. The next two years we went from town to town scavenging what we could and hiding in the woods otherwise. 'Human Rayla' managed to fool more people than I ever expected. More than 'elf Callum' did at least. One day-"

Ezran knew where this was going from following the vague timeline Callum had given. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear what happened next.

"-while scouting, Rayla found a Moonshadow elf camp. Runaan was there. She snuck in and met with him, asked what was going on. Xadia was preparing a massive assault on Katolis. He had firsthand experience in the castle and they wanted him to 'finish what he started.' You'll have to ask Rayla what really happened at the camp. I couldn't go anywhere near it, obviously. She didn't tell me much besides that and how we needed to warn you. Rayla volunteered to sneak in, she'd already done it once before. I thought I could show myself and walk inside without any risk. But either her from getting captured or me being put under the kingdom's protection, the chances of whoever went in getting back to the other weren't good. I'm so sorry."

Callum covered his face with his hands. He couldn't look at Ezran while explaining what happened next.

"We were selfish. I wouldn't let Rayla go and she wouldn't let me. For six years all we had were each other, we just couldn't risk losing that. So we ran. I tried to warn people in the next few towns we visited but I doubt it reached you. When I heard the castle fell, saw refugees on the roads..."

Ezran stared down at his lap. "Aunt Amaya died defending the castle, so I could escape. I think she killed Runaan. The last time I saw her, they were fighting, and it looked like she had just won."

They sat in silence for awhile. "What happened next?"

"That's it? You're not mad?"

"I'm mad, but I've had to make terrible decisions too. Its not like a few day's warning would have stopped what they sent. It was the biggest army we've ever seen Xadia field. They must really, really hate Aaravos."

The awkward silence persisted. "Maybe you should skip ahead. Just tell me about Sera. How'd I end up being a uncle?"

"A little more than a year ago, we found an abandoned village near the border between Katolis and Duren. We were trying to stay ahead of any armies, but this town wasn't attacked. It was like they thought they were going to be and fled first. There were plenty of supplies so we camped out and waited to see if anyone would come back. No one ever did. There was a little cabin on the outskirts of the town, far enough that unless you were really searching you wouldn't notice it. We were both so tired of running. We decided to stay. Months passed and it was good. We slept under a roof in a bed, there was food. We got comfortable. We got careless. We got..."

"Pregnant?"

"Yeah. It wasn't a good place for that, but it was better than anywhere else we'd been. At least up until the end. I was planning to deliver the baby. Having seen the actual process, I'm pretty glad it didn't come to that. Rayla was getting closer and we realized just how in over our heads we were. It was real now. So we left to find help. I don't know what kind of help we were expecting, anyone who saw Rayla would probably either try to kill her or get some soldiers to do it for them, but we were desperate. We passed several towns but Rayla said to keep moving and keep safe, only stop if we absolutely had to. Then her water broke and we absolutely had to.

"I carried Rayla to the nearest town and brought her in the first building I could get inside, an inn. The innkeeper was an older woman, she was scared at first, but when she saw Rayla she agreed to help us. If it weren't for her I don't think... I don't know... we delivered Sera and the innkeeper was willing to hide us for a little while. Rayla didn't agree, she wanted us to leave as soon as she could walk. Too many people might have seen us. The innkeeper warned that could hurt her, but soldiers started showing up and we didn't have any choice.

"While we were there, I eavesdropped a lot, wandered around town, and I heard you were alive and in Duren. I thought about finding you, but keeping Sera safe was more important. We went back into the woods. We didn't have much. I ate as little as possible so Rayla could stay healthy and feed Sera. Then Rayla got sick, she never healed after the birth. But we had to keep going, for Sera. Rayla got worse, and her milk dried up. I told her about how you were living in the castle, that it was our only option left. Sera was starving. One of us would go in and probably not come out. This time it was easy to accept that risk. Even sick, Rayla's better at stealth than me, and she told me if things went wrong, well it wasn't looking too good for her anyway. I had a better shot at finding help for Sera if this didn't work. I couldn't argue.

"And," Callum shrugged, "you know what happened after that."

Ezran paused to take all that in. "At least... it has a happy ending."

"I'd wait until Rayla and Sera are okay to call it that."

"Still, this is the first in a long time that I've felt hopeful about anything. You survived and came back. I'm an _uncle_ now. This is just the beginning."

"Hopefully its got a better second half."

"It has to."


	3. Misgivings

_**So it seems this story is going to have more than three chapters. It hasn't been particularly popular compared to fluffier one shots I've done, but I'm having more fun than expected writing it so I'll keep going. This chapter's pretty different from the others since we're into the meet of the story, so the bulk of the chapter isn't either the narrator or Callum summarizing ten years worth of events but character interaction happening in real time. That also means its fairly short by comparison.**_

"I don't like this," Aanya said. "That they had a child is bad enough, but its so much worse that they're married."

Ezran had just finished recounting Callum's story to Aanya in her private chambers. Callum was being seen to by another of the castle's healers.

"Why does it matter that they got married before having Sera? If Opeli were here she'd be horrified if it happened the other way around."

Aanya pinched the bridge of her nose. "If they're married, then that means Sera is legitimate. You don't have a wife and you certainly don't have children. Sera is, as of this moment, the closest thing Katolis has to an heir."

Ezran's expression fell as he realized her point. "That wouldn't go over well with the council. What's left of it."

"It wouldn't go over well with anyone. As soon as the other kingdoms realize the heir to Katolis is a half-elf, they'll be outraged. They would turn against Katolis, and probably Duren too."

"So what? We just banish them!?" Ezran scowled.

"No, of course not. I may not know them, but I understand they're your family. I couldn't ask you to do that. But we have to handle this carefully, otherwise we'll have a civil war on top of the war with Xadia."

"But maybe this can help with that. A human prince and an elf assassin _fell in_ _love_ and _had a child_. Think of how powerful an image that is. What that says about our differences, or lack of them. Love and compassion can end wars just as easily as violence can."

Aanya paused to consider Ezran's words. "Would they accept that?"

"Obviously not at first. It would be a long process of getting people to move past their prejudices-"

"I meant would _Callum and Rayla_ accept that? Being used as living propaganda? Their daughter being used as living propaganda?"

"We abandoned everything as kids to try and end the war with love, by returning Zym to his mother. If it wasn't for magic vanishing, that would have worked." Ezran pounded his fist into his palm. "It's the same thing, just a different kind of baby."

Aanya sighed. "Even if you're right, it won't matter because as soon as the other kingdoms, as soon as the rest of Duren, even, find out, it'll be chaos. There will be calls for me to sever Duren's ties with Katolis. I wouldn't dream of hurting you or your family but I also can't sacrifice my people's safety for you."

"I understand." Ezran's shoulders slumped. "I need to think about this, start planning." He walked to the door. "Promise me you'll at least keep them safe until Rayla and Sera are okay."

"Of course."

* * *

Callum had been diagnosed with severe malnutrition and a mild cold. While the healer cautioned they would need to organize a temporary diet to undo the negative effects on his body, in the short term his treatment was just to eat. The feast prepared by Aanya's personal chef was more food than he had seen in ages. In fact much of it was too rich for his palate after going hungry for so long and left him nauseous. Fuller than he could ever remember feeling, Callum pushed his chair away from the dining room table and stood up.

"Thank you," he told a nearby attendant, who nodded in acknowledgement.

The storm had passed. It was now well into the evening, leaving only moonlight shining in from the windows. Callum stared out at it wistfully. He needed to see Rayla and their daughter, even if both were still unconscious.

"Where is the infirmary?" He asked the attendant again.

"I'm under strict instruction to keep you here or escort you back to the quarters you have been assigned. I'm afraid I can't let you go anywhere else."

He wanted to ignore the attendant and storm out to find the infirmary on his own. But this wasn't Katolis, this was Duren and he was a guest. A guest they had little reason to trust beyond being the brother of another kingdom's king. He wasn't even sure if he still counted as a prince, having been presumed dead for so long. As much as he hated it, Callum couldn't do anything that might put more suspicion on Rayla. One false move and it would be perfectly understandable for Duren to expel her, or worse.

"Take me to my room then," Callum sighed.

* * *

It had been a long day, but Claudia was satisfied. She'd found a midwife named Enid to assist her, and both Rayla and Sera were in stable condition. Now it was time to call it a night. The crownguard posted to watch Rayla at all times also had orders to alert Claudia if her or Sera's condition changed. Claudia pulled off her gloves and headed for her room. She thought about going to see Callum, but decided against it. They'd parted on bad terms and she had no idea what his physical state was beyond what Ezran had told her. He might be just as bad off as Rayla, being treated by another healer. It would be better to see him under more formal circumstances, she reasoned.

That train of thought led Claudia to realize something else. At least Callum had been her friend before then. Rayla and her had only ever been enemies. Claudia couldn't imagine what Rayla's reaction to her would be once she woke up. It didn't matter now. Claudia was going to bed and the tonic she'd given Rayla to keep her still during the examination was strong enough to knock a person twice Rayla's size out for a full twenty four hours.

On her way through the castle's halls Claudia took her regular detour. She came to a door at the end of a secluded hallway and nodded at the guard posted in front of it. Claudia rapped on the door in a practiced rhythm to let the occupant inside know it was her, then pushed it open.

"You will not believe what kind of day I've had! Callum is alive and he had a kid-" Claudia froze mid sentence.

"Good evening, Claudia," Aaravos said. He was standing to the side of the writing desk where Viren sat. The room was near replica of one used for Aaravos. Sparse and utilitarian, barely furnished.

"Dad, what is he doing here?" Claudia pointed accusingly to Aaravos. "You know you're not allowed together without supervision."

"Aaravos' room was damaged in the storm. My quarters are the only others as 'secure' as his," Viren explained.

"Would you have them put me in the dungeon instead?" Aaravos asked. Claudia assumed that was sarcasm, but it was always hard to tell with him.

"I... guess that makes sense." Claudia sidestepped Aaravos and walked over to her father. She leaned over to see what he was writing.

"So, Prince Callum is alive after all? I had given up hope." Viren stood up, covering the paper with his hand.

Memories Claudia's mind. What Viren had tried to make her and Soren do. How it was it reason Soren wasn't here now. Claudia crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "Yep, so your little plan from back then double failed."

"We've been through this. That was a long time ago, I did what I thought was best for Katolis and I am willfully paying the price for my misjudgment."

Viren slipped the paper he'd been using into his robes. "I'm truly happy that he is alright. I can't imagine what he must have been through."

Claudia's expression softened. She hadn't come here for a passive-aggressive half argument, but the presence of Aaravos and the memories of Viren's past actions it brought up were spoiling the moment.

"I don't know much myself. I've been busy taking care of..." She paused. Viren probably wouldn't be pleased to hear about Rayla and her relationship with Callum. Then again, he was friends with Aaravos. Or were they friends? Claudia had never given it much thought. They obviously tolerated each other, at least.

"Yes?"

"Busy taking care of his daughter. She's sick. Remember, I was mentioning that? Callum had a kid. Who would have guessed?" Claudia gave an exaggerated chuckle.

Viren stared at her and raised his eyebrow. "Well, I'll be sure to congratulate him when I get the chance."

Aaravos, who had been watching silently, cut through the tension with his voice. "Is the child's mother a moonshadow elf?"

"What?!" Viren was taken aback by the question, and even more so by Claudia's shocked and guilty expression. That meant it was true.

"H-how did you know that?" Claudia stepped backwards from the two of them.

"While being escorted here, I heard the guards mention a moonshadow elf infiltrating the castle. As no one is dead, either she failed or must have come for another reason."

"Wow, that's a lucky guess," Claudia said without conviction. She looked at Viren. His face was masking whatever reaction he had to this news. "Well, I've gotta get to bed. I'll see you in the morning, Dad."

Claudia hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Aaravos knew something. She didn't know how or why, but she did know she had to tell Ezran.

Viren waited for the sound of Claudia's footsteps to patter out. Then he withdrew the paper and set it back on the desk.

"Incredible." He stared down at the paper. Unlike what Claudia assumed, Viren hadn't been the one writing on it. Aaravos had given it to him when he was brought there. On it was a list:

_Storm_

_Window_

_Prince_

_Moonshadow elf_

_Child_

"How did you know?"

Aaravos smiled. "Those are just... bits and pieces. I didn't fully understand their meaning until now."

Viren considered that. "So what happens next?"

"We wait."

* * *

_**I'm also considering (big maybe) either doing a side story or chapter in here (probably side story since it might break up the flow of the story here) showing fully written out excerpts from Callum's recounting of the ten years he and Rayla spent on the run. Any specific moments from that anyone would be interested in seeing fleshed out?**_


	4. Auntie Claudia

_**This will be a relatively slight and fluff-focused chapter. It was originally meant to be part of chapter three but I realized that breaking them up would work better than just abruptly cutting to the next day midway through.**_

* * *

By midmorning the next day, Sera was doing much better. She was wide awake and drinking formula from a bottle. Rayla was still out cold but stable. As far as Claudia could tell, both would be all right. She was cradling Sera while the infant finished her bottle. For the past four years she'd tirelessly treated wounded soldiers and survivors from destroyed cities. Seeing the horrors of the war even when nowhere near a battlefield. Helping a sick baby was such a refreshing change of pace.

"Looks like all you needed was some breakfast and Auntie Claudia's trusty anti-sickness mold potion."

Sera looked up at the sound of Claudia's voice.

"Look at you," Claudia cooed. "You've got your dad's eyes, his hair, his pinkies, and your mom's," she glanced over to where Rayla was still asleep in her bed, "everything else." Something else stood out to her. "What about your ears? I can't tell who they're from." Sera's ears were mostly rounded like a human's, but came to little points on the back.

"They look like they could go either way," a new voice agreed. Claudia jumped.

She turned around and put on a hopefully genuine looking smile. It was genuine, to a degree. Claudia still considered Callum a close friend, but knew if she was in his place she likely would not have felt the same.

"Hi, Callum."

"Claudia." He narrowed his eyes. "May I have my daughter?"

"Oh, sure." Claudia slowly walked up to Callum and handed Sera over to him. Callum took her from Claudia without a word. He clutched her to his chest in a protective manner that stung Claudia. She had just helped save Sera's life, she was the last thing Sera would need protecting from.

The two stood glowering at each other. Sera was oblivious to the tension and remained focused on her bottle. She'd already drank half of it.

"Look," Claudia broke the silence, "I'm sorry for betraying you and Ezran, but that was ten years ago. I've changed. You've changed. Also I just helped saved your daughter's and Rayla's lives so I'd say we're even."

"You and Soren were my only friends, I trusted you two. You broke my heart." Callum stared down at Sera and sighed. "But you're right. Thank you. Thank you so much."

They smiled at each other, fully genuine this time.

"Well, Enid helped too, but she took an early lunch break so I'll take her share of the credit for her." They both laughed.

Their laughter was interrupted by a groan. Callum looked to the left of Claudia, at the cot near the back of the infirmary he'd been too distracted to notice yet. He saw its occupant shift under the covers, bringing a hand to her forehead.

"Rayla!" Callum ran to her as quickly as he could without jostling Sera. Claudia was left flabbergasted. There was no way she should be able to wake up yet.

Callum knelt down besides the bed. "Rayla, it's me. Are you okay?"

Rayla rolled onto her side and grinned at Callum. "I'm fine, ya dummy." She tried to push herself up and grimaced. "Well, maybe fine's a strong word." Callum leaned over and kissed her forehead. This put Rayla face to face with Sera, which she took advantage of to ruffle her hair.

"How are you awake?" Claudia interrupted.

"I'm a light sleeper."

"No. The sedative I gave you was strong enough to keep someone twice your size out for at least another few hours."

"A _very_ light sleeper."

Claudia shrugged. Maybe it was an elf thing. "In that case, you didn't happen to hear my heart-to-heart chat with Callum did you? So we don't have to go through that again?"

Rayla rolled back over and let her head fall onto the pillow. "Does't matter. I'm too tired to be angry."

"I guess that's good enough."

Sera began to cry. She had emptied her bottle. Callum stood up and shifted Sera to brace against his shoulder so he could burp her. This calmed Sera down and sent her back into a contented silence.

"Looks like your da's in charge of feedin' ya now," Rayla joked. Without even needing to vocalize it, Rayla stretched her arms out to signal she wanted to hold Sera.

"Just getting a head start on making sure I'm the favorite parent," Callum teased back. He lowered Sera into Rayla's arms but kept the bottle, which he then set on the nearby bed stand. Claudia noted that, paradoxically, Rayla seemed to become instantly more relaxed due to Sera's presence while also more alert. She imagined that Rayla, and probably Callum too, must have practically slept with one eye open since Sera was born. Probably long before that.

Rayla scooted back towards the headboard and attempt to sit up. Pain shot through her lower body.

"Careful! Moving around too much too soon is what got you in trouble in the first place."

"I'm just tryin' to sit up, not sprint around the castle."

Callum grabbed Rayla by the shoulders and gently pulled her up, so she wouldn't need to push with her legs.

"Thanks." With Sera held in one arm, Rayla placed her other hand on Callum's cheek. "Ya got rid of your beard."

"Sorry to disappoint you?" He asked, a little confused.

"Oh, no, I hated it." Rayla gave him a quick kiss. "Yep, much better."

Claudia took one last look to make sure everything was okay, then closed the door behind her. The three needed some privacy. Well, besides the crownguard standing silently in the corner. She to was to watch Rayla at all times.

* * *

Ezran laid out on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Bait was curled up by his side, munching on an unfinished jelly tart while Ezran was too deep in thought to notice. On top of the constant oversight of the war, now he had to come up with a plan of action for the potential crisis brewing in the infirmary. Aanya was right, the Pentarchy would be outraged to learn the heir to Katolis was a half-elf... a half-human... what was the correct term for Sera? Ezran floated several other ideas. Helf? No. Elfman? A famous bard was already named that, so no. Halfling? Close enough for now. He could argue that a Xadian marriage shouldn't be recognized by human kingdoms, and thus Sera was illegitimate. That felt wrong, trying to make his own niece even more ostracized from society than she was already destined to be.

On top of that, late last night Claudia had told him that Aaravos knew things he shouldn't about Sera. Ezran ordered an additional guard to watch Aaravos at all times. He would need to talk to Aaravos himself about this, but as long as the startouch elf was under surveillance and hadn't actually done anything, it could wait. He shifted back to planning.

Maybe he could just give Callum and Rayla a little cottage, far away from the war. They'd raise Sera in peace and not be seen as a threat by the Pentarchy. But it would be impossible to keep that a secret. Despite his and Aanya's demands for the castle staff, it would be only a matter of time before someone, somewhere said too much and the news would spread far and wide. Worse still, hiding would prevent them from helping end the war. Ezran still believed the symbol of hope and peace the young family represented was their best bet.

Of course, Ezran could just get married and produce an official heir as soon as possible. The idea was among his least favorites. Marrying for politics rather than love was distasteful enough. His father hadn't, his brother hadn't, and he didn't plan to either, but even if he were to do so for Callum and Rayla's sake it would be next to impossible. Ezran was practically a king of nothing. Katolis was the shattered remnants of the royal court, an ever shrinking army, and refugees under the care of Duren more than their own leadership. Meanwhile "New Katolis" was just a no-man's land of razed elven villages and active battlefields. No royal from any kingdom would want to ally themselves to that.

He absentmindedly reached for the last jelly tart and came up empty handed.

"Bait, you were supposed to save me one," Ezran chided. Bait flashed his "puppy-frog" eyes and the matter was dropped.

He was getting nowhere. A knock on the door provided a much needed distraction. Ezran got off the bed and answered it.

"Yes?"

"Your highness, the elf is awake. I understand you wanted to be informed of this," an attendant said.

Ezran wanted to correct him, say she's not "the elf," her name is Rayla, but it was probably best for him to know as little as possible.

"Thank you. I'll go see her now."

Ezran made his way to the infirmary. Aside from wanting to see Rayla, he had important questions to ask her. He'd save the political issues for once she was fully healed, but he needed to ask Rayla if she knew anything about Aaravos. Like Claudia, Ezran didn't buy his explanation for how he knew about Sera's parentage. Had Aaravos seen Rayla infiltrate the castle? Hopefully she could shed some light on the matter.

He entered and realized he would not be getting any of those answers. Rayla had gone back to sleep, with one arm draped over Sera, also asleep on her chest. Her other arm hung down so she could hold Callum's hand while he slept sitting up against the side of the bed. Ezran smiled. His questions could wait.

* * *

_**Claudia's "trusty anti-sickness mold potion" is penicillin. The much less delicious but equally effective sequel to hot brown morning potion.**_


	5. Moonlight

Later that afternoon, Rayla was awake again. It was time for Ezran to get some answers. Callum had taken Sera to get some fresh air, at Ezran's suggestion. The infirmary was empty save for him, Rayla, and the crownguard standing watch in the corner.

"You're relieved from your post for now," Ezran informed the guard.

"I was ordered by the Queen to keep watch on the elf at all times." She was one of Aanya's guards, not his, and Ezran had no true authority over her. Luckily he'd gotten used to finding creative solutions to such conflicts of interest.

"And Queen Aanya is aware that I'm here and that your protection will not be needed."

They stared each other down for a moment. Finally, the guard left. Ezran walked over to Rayla.

"I've felt her eyes burnin' holes in the back of my skull since I woke up," Rayla said.

Ezran grabbed a stool and placed it next to Rayla's cot. He sat down in front of her.

"Sorry about that. Two kingdoms sharing a castle makes everything more complicated."

Rayla flashed him a conspiratorial smile. "Does Aanya know yer here?"

"No." Ezran did not share in her humor. "I wish I was just here to see you, but there's something more important."

"Oh." Rayla's smile died.

"How much do you remember about that afternoon? When you came here?"

Rayla shook her head. "Not much. A lot of its a blur."

"Did you see another elf inside the castle? A startouch one?"

Rayla's eyes widened. "Tha' was real?!"

"What happened? What did you see?"

"I thought it was just a fever dream. I tried to scale the castle walls, and got in through a broken window. I don't even remember how I broke it. There was an elf in the room, I never said a word to him but he told me where to find you and distracted the guard outside. It sounds crazy sayin' it out loud."

A wave of relief washed over Ezran. If Aaravos had helped Rayla enter the castle, that would explain why expected her to be Sera's mother. He didn't know anything.

"So what was tha' about?"

"Nothing important." Now that he knew Aaravos wasn't a threat, Ezran couldn't bring himself to worry Rayla over nothing while she was still bedridden.

Rayla frowned. "Ez, what aren't ya tellin' me?"

"It's nothing. I thought it might be something, but it's not and I don't want to worry you."

"Well you're doin' a terrible job of not worryin' me."

Ezran shot up. He headed for the door.

"What? Where you are goin'."

"I'm sorry, I just realized something I have to take care of."

"I'm really, really not-not worried now, Ezran. Ezran!"

Ezran hated leaving like that, but while they were talking a horrible realization hit him. Rayla wasn't in any danger, but if Aaravos was willing to let an intruder sneak into the castle, one that anyone would assume to be an assassin, and assist them in finding Ezran, then he might be.

* * *

"Aaravos!" Ezran stormed into to the startouch elf's quarters followed by two crownguards. The window had been repaired earlier in the day. "You helped an intruder enter the castle and led her to me."

Aaravos smirked at him. "And had I not done so, she would be dead and you would never have realized she or your brother were alive. Or that you even had niece."

Ezran glared. "You didn't know that. For all you knew, she could have been trying to kill me."

"Perhaps. But if I did not act, I would never have known either way, and you would never have been reunited with your family."

Ezran turned to the guards. "Take him to the dungeon."

As Aaravos was hauled away, he smiled, perfectly content.

* * *

The next few days passed in a blur. Rayla's recovery continued at a steady pace. Callum was regaining his strength. Sera bounced back to health just as quick, though she still received multiple check ups a day from Claudia or Enid the midwife. On a late evening five days after their arrival, Rayla was declared fit to be moved out of the infirmary and into the guest room Callum had been assigned to. A crib had already been procured and brought to the room as well for Sera. Ezran's talks with Aanya about what do had grown heated as neither could suggest a solution the other agreed with.

The door to the guest room swung open. Rayla, unsteady but but braced against Callum, stepped inside. She had to be carried up the stairs from the lower level the infirmary was located in but otherwise had walked the entire way. Being bedridden had been torturous. It was only lessened by the fact that the medicinal tinctures Claudia had been giving her kept her too groggy to want to move much anyway. Rayla plopped down onto the bed, exhausted and sore but proud. Moonlight was streaming in from the full moon outside, shafts of it hitting Sera's crib where the infant was fast asleep.

"Wait," she belated realized as Callum pulled the covers from the foot of the bed over her. "I did all tha' walkin' just to trade one bed for another?"

"There's one difference," Callum said as he walked around to the other side of the bed. "It's big enough that I can do this." He laid down on the bed and snaked his arms around Rayla, pulling her into a spooning position.

"Fair point."

As they cuddled, Rayla tried to relax, but found she couldn't.

"Callum, we need to talk."

"We're talking right now." He didn't need to be facing Rayla to tell she was rolling her eyes.

"We need to talk about what our next move is."

"Yeah. Ez told that once you're better we'd need to talk about Katolis. It's been so long since I've thought about any of that, but I guess you and Sera are princesses now." Callum laughed. He hadn't considered himself a prince since they'd chosen not to return all those years ago, it seemed surreal to think about that aspect of his life now.

"Tha's part of it, but," Rayla turned over to face Callum, "I meant our plan for leavin' here."

"Leaving? We're finally safe."

"Are we? Have you noticed tha' this is the first time I've been in a room without a guard in it? And it's only because there's one outside," Rayla kept her voice down for the last portion.

"Because we're strangers right now. Once Ezran-"

"Ezran isn't in charge, Queen Aanya is. This isn't Katolis and I don't think we're welcome here. I'm not even sure how much I trust Ezran right now either."

Ezran had apologized about his vagueness on Aaravos, offering both of them some clarification, but not much.

"Somethin' made Ezran think I was in danger. He still won't tell me what."

"That worries me too, but we can talk with him. We can make a home here."

"We don't need a home! We need somewhere tha's safe. Safe for us and for Sera."

Callum sat up in bed. "You almost died out there. Sera almost died out there. This is the safest we've been in years. I'm tired of running, and even if I wasn't, I'm never putting Sera in that kind of danger again!"

"And how do you know she isn't in danger here? Doesn't seem like Aanya's people trust us, I doubt any of the human kingdoms would. Ezran might but he's one person and he's got a war to deal with."

Rayla stared at Callum, the look of determination on her face identical to before she'd gone to infiltrate the castle. "Once I'm better. We're leavin'."

"Where will we get formula for Sera? What will we do if she gets sick again?"

"What will we do when the rest of the kingdoms realize the prince of Katolis married an elf and had a half-elf daughter during the bloodiest war with Xadia in a thousand years? I'm sure that wouldn't put a target on Sera's back for the rest of her life!"

"We can protect her!"

"And we can protect her even better by gettin' away from the war!"

"There are people here who care about us and can help!"

"We wouldn't need their help in the first place if we weren't here!"

"Yes we would!"

Cries pierced the air from Sera's crib. The argument had gotten loud enough to wake her. Callum got up and hurried to the crib.

"Rayla," the tone of Callum's voice sent a chill through Rayla's spine. "I can't find Sera."

"W-what do ya mean?" Rayla was already forcing herself out of bed and onto her much steadier than before, but still unsteady feet. "I can hear her cries from the crib."

"She's not there!"

Rayla reached the crib, holding onto its side for balance. She looked inside and saw nothing. Sera's cries sounded louder than ever, as if she was right in front their faces, but to Callum and Rayla the crib appeared empty. Tentatively, despite her mind telling her the mere idea was stupid, Rayla reached into the crib and felt around the bedding. Her fingers brushed up against something she could feel but not see. She pushed forward, wrapping her fingers around the invisible object. It felt like...

Instantly, Sera was back in the crib. The object Rayla grabbed revealed itself to be Sera's foot. Rayla let go and scooped Sera into her arms.

"Shh, it's okay. Mum and Da are here." Sera calmed down.

Then she vanished again. Callum looked between the Sera-sized gap in Rayla's arms and the full moon in the window.

"She has a moon arcanum..." Callum whispered to himself. "She has a moon arcanum!" He repeated and hugged Rayla. Sera reappeared again between them.

Rayla was overcome with a feeling of optimism and wonder. That the world would never be the same. The same she had felt ten years ago when she first saw the egg of the Dragon Prince, and again on a personal level when Sera was born.

"This changes everythin'."

* * *

_**Surprise!**_

_**Just one more chapter to go.**_


	6. When Magic Came Back

_**So here we are at the conclusion. I hope everyone has enjoyed the story, and will enjoy this final chapter.**_

* * *

Sera would appear and disappear every few moments.

"Is that normal?" Callum asked.

"Yep. It's hard to control when yer little," Rayla smiled, "Runaan and Tinker always said I'd give them such trouble on full moons as a bairn."

The door slammed open, practically forced off its hinges. A pair of crownguards flanking Aanya and Ezran ran in. Instinctively, Rayla handed Sera to Callum and got in front of him. Even without weapons and not at full strength, she knew ways to incapacitate at least one of the guards before going down.

"What's going on in here?" Aanya demanded. "The guards tell me they heard shouting and cries. Are you in danger?"

"We're fine," Rayla answered, not moving from her protective positioning.

Callum narrowed his eyes at the guards. "If you thought we were in danger, why waste time warning Aanya and Ezran instead of helping us?"

The crownguards didn't respond.

"They told Aanya they overheard you arguing about leaving," Ezran said. "Then she told me." He looked taken aback by the idea. Crushed.

"Oh, so yer spyin' on us?"

"You were _shouting_," one of the guards spoke up. "It would be harder not to listen."

"Look, everyone, it doesn't matter anymore," Callum stepped out from behind Rayla. "Because of this."

He held out Sera, and everyone stared at him, confused.

"Uh, what are we looking at?" Ezran squinted at Sera.

Callum laughed nervously. "Come on, Sera, show them." He tickled Sera in hopes that would prompt a reaction. Nothing happened.

"I know this will sound crazy, but-" before Callum could finish, Sera finally vanished again.

Ezran, Aanya, and the crownguards all gasped. The guards' swords clattered to the ground.

"She has a moon arcanum. She can use magic." Rayla stepped in front of Sera and Callum again, just to be safe.

"That's incredible!" Ezran was beaming with joy.

"It's unbelievable," Aanya said, hardly able to trust her eyes. "This could change the course of the war. Of history." She shifted her attention to the crownguards. "Bring Viren and Aaravos here. Now."

The guards left without a word.

"What?! I don't want them anywhere near Sera," Rayla said.

"Didn't you just put Aaravos in the dungeon for something you still won't tell us about?" Callum added, "And the last time I saw Viren, he tried to steal my voice with an evil box... That is not something I ever expected to say."

"They are our foremost experts on magic. If anyone can figure out what's going on, its them."

"Don't worry," Ezran said, "We'll be here with you and I won't let them do anything you aren't okay with."

Rayla held her ground. "I'm not okay with this, period."

"Your daughter may be only person in the world with magic. This is bigger than her, or you, or any of us. We need their council," Aanya explained.

Ezran wanted to side with his family, but found himself unable to disagree with Aanya on that note. He looked to Rayla and Callum pleadingly that they would cooperate.

"We have to figure out what's going on. Viren and Aaravos know more about magic than anyone else."

Callum and Rayla shared a series of quick, wordless glances with each other. "Fine. But if either of them lays so much as a finger on Sera without my or Callum's say so-"

"I will do no harm to your daughter," Aaravos said as he was lead in by the guards. His wrists were shackled. Viren entered after him, with no restraints save for the crownguard clutching his left arm.

Viren stepped forward, as forward as he could while still being restrained. "Callum, it's a pleasure to see you again." He looked over to Rayla. "And you must be the moonshadow elf I've heard so much about. I'm Viren, formerly the high mage of Katolis-"

"I know who ya are," Rayla glared. "A dark mage who stole the egg of the Dragon Prince and had yer own children try to kidnap the princes so ya could steal it back. Tha' close enough?"

"He also tried to have us killed," Ezran clarified, "but that's why he's got this armed guard as an escort."

"As you can see," Viren shrugged his left shoulder in acknowledgement of the crownguard, "even if I wanted to harm you I cannot. Now may I see the child?"

Callum walked up to Viren and Aaravos. He held Sera out but just far enough that neither could touch her. Aaravos stared directly at Sera, the moment they made eye contact she vanished again. Viren and Aaravos were in awe.

"How- How long have you known?" Viren could barely keep his composure.

"About half an hour or so," Callum answered.

"This isn't possible."

"It is," Aaravos spoke up. "It is and I've spent the past decade awaiting this moment."

Everyone's attention turned from Sera to him.

"That day when magic left our world, my connection to the primal sources allowed me to realize what was happening before it was too late. I cast a final spell, a unique form of star magic to see into the future. It didn't work, not entirely. I was left with bits and pieces. Snippets of information that only now do I truly understand."

"You know why it happened?" Aanya asked.

"No, but I have realized that," Aaravos paused as if to build anticipation, "magic never went away at all. The primal sources still envelop this world. What vanished were the arcana. On that day every creature, magical object, elf, or," he stared at Callum, "human lost their arcanum."

"But Sera has a moon arcanum, so she can do magic," Rayla said.

"Exactly."

"But how? Why isn't anyone else being born with an arcanum? Why is it just her?" Ezran asked.

"It could be her unique parentage," Viren suggested.

"It better not be. Could ya imagine what people on either side of the war would do if makin' half-elves or half-humans was only way to use magic?" Rayla shuddered, unable to even put into words the horrific implications of that idea.

"Maybe she's not the only one? Maybe she's the first, or one of the first, and even right now there could be other babies with arcana out there?" Aanya said.

"Wait!" The excited speculation was cut off by Viren's outburst. He realized something wonderful, and terrible. "It doesn't matter if she's the only one or not. We only need one. If magic never actually disappeared, then dark magic should still work... if there's something with an arcanum to draw from." His gaze came to rest on Sera.

Callum clutched Sera to his chest and Rayla got between them and Viren.

"I should kill you for even thinking that."

Ezran had never heard such malice in his brother's voice.

"I _will_ kill him," Rayla balled her hands into fists and took a step forward.

"You misunderstand me," Viren raised his hands in surrender. "I don't need to harm your daughter. I just need enough of her to test. A lock of hair, for example."

"No. I won't let any part of Sera be used for dark magic!" Rayla shouted.

"It's just a lock of hair," Aanya said. "And if we can confirm dark magic still works, imagine what that would mean for the world."

"I don't care what it means. Dark magic should stay gone. I was right, this place isn't safe. Callum, we're leavin'. _Now_."

"You can't leave!" Ezran cried. "I just got you back."

"Claudia told me about your aptitude with magic. From one mage to another, you have to understand how important this is, Callum," Viren said, ignoring the three way argument between Rayla, Ezran, and Aanya.

"I used dark magic once and I nearly died. I still have nightmares about what it did to me. Rayla's right, the world is better off without it."

Viren looked down. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

He leaped at Callum, pulling free from the shocked crownguard's hold. They tumbled to the ground. Sera shrieked. Callum could take Viren in a fight, thanks to his training from Rayla, but his arms were preoccupied with clutching the wailing Sera. The crownguard and Rayla were on Viren a second later to try and pry him away from Callum. They were too late.

"Stop!" Viren lifted himself up enough to show to the others that he had his hand clutching Sera by the hair. "Or I'll use all of her."

Everyone froze. Callum stopped struggling. Rayla didn't let go of Viren, but didn't try to move either.

"Remove his shackles." Viren gestured to Aaravos with his free hand.

The crownguards standing on each side of Aaravos looked to Aanya.

"Do what he says." Aanya couldn't imagine what dark magic Viren could work from Sera, and she didn't want to risk finding out.

Aaravos was released from his bindings. He stepped over to Viren and knelt down beside him.

Viren shared his plans in a hushed tone. "Obviously we can't use her up at once, but we'll start with some tests and figure out what makes her different. Then we can start being more liberal in drawing from her for bigger spells. Perhaps that idea we had about using dark magic to give others an arcanum? If it works, we could restore magic to who knows how many people. We ensure only the right people have it, and we could end the war. What do you think?"

While Viren spoke, Aaravos reached into his robes and withdrew a shard of glass he'd kept hidden the past five days. Silently, Rayla watched. Aarvos held out the glass shard, just out Viren's range of sight. Rayla took it.

"I think," Aaravos whispered in Viren's ear, "that you've overplayed your hand."

Rayla plunged the shard into Viren's back.

"It wasn't supposed to end this way, my friend," The remorse in Aaravos' voice was real.

Viren gasped and his grip on Sera loosened. Callum couldn't see what was going on, but noticed the change. He slammed his knee into Viren's groin. The former dark mage toppled over. It wasn't quite sweeping the leg, but it had the desired effect. Viren fell and the room was quiet save for Sera's crying.

Rayla stared at her hand. She'd cut it gripping the shard of glass. "I really am an assassin now." There was a sudden wetness on her face. She wiped it away and realized she was crying.

Callum got to his feet. He checked Sera all over to make sure she was okay, then embraced Rayla. Together they tried to calm down their daughter.

"Can someone tell me," Ezran was the first of the room's other occupants to break from their shocked stupor," why no one checked if Aaravos had a weapon on him?"

"If they had, then tonight's events would have ended… poorly," Less of Aaravos' unreadable mystique came through. The sadness underneath couldn't be hidden. Whatever his goal had been, it wasn't this.

Sera finally quieted down. The crownguards re-shackled Aaravos and hauled away Viren's body. The weight of what transpired hit Ezran. How would he tell Claudia? How could he expect Callum and Rayla to stay after that?

"In the morning, I'll give you everything you need to set out."

"Yer lettin' us leave?"

"Isn't that what you want?"

"What we want," Callum said, "is for Sera to be safe."

"Nowhere is safe. The closest you can come is to be around others who care for you. Who will protect you as you protect them," Aanya interrupted. "I understand that Duren hasn't made a good impression, but going back into hiding will make you just as vulnerable."

The speech galvanized Ezran. "You've seen what this war's done to the world. I think that together, we can work towards ending it. This won't be easy, but neither was taking Zym to his mother, or surviving on your own for ten years. My offer stands, you can leave in the morning if you really think that's best. But," Ezran held out his hand, "I need you guys, the Pentarchy and Xadia need all of us, and you don't have to do everything alone anymore."

Callum and Rayla stared at each other. Rayla slipped her hand into Callum's.

"Well?"

* * *

"Just breathe," Callum instructed, crouched down next to Sera on a windswept hill.

Sera exhaled. Callum held up his old sketchbook, open to a page detailing a rune familiar to both of them.

"Now draw the rune, like we practiced."

The seven year old nodded. She drew the rune in the air, but this time, it took shape where her finger traced.

"Now say-"

"Aspiro!" Sera finished, and her breath created a torrent of air. The blast knocked Callum over, leaving him sprawled out on the grass. Sera ceased blowing and ran over to her father.

"Sorry! Are you okay?"

Callum laughed and sat up.

"You did it! You connected to the sky arcanum!" He pulled Sera into a hug. "I was twice your age before I figured that out."

Sera's eyes lit up. "Mum! Did you hear that? Dad said I'm twice as good at magic as he was!"

"Ya sure are!" Rayla called back from her spot on the hill. She sat just far enough away from them to ensure she was out of 'getting blown away' range.

"That's not _exactly_ what I was saying."

Sera had already moved on from that. She cast aspiro again and delighted in blowing the grass flat.

Rayla got up and sat down next to Callum. "Reminds me of someone else, about seventeen years ago." She learned her head against his shoulder.

Once Sera had tired herself out, she ran over to her parents beaming with pride. "We should celebrate."

Callum smirked. "By celebrate, do you mean eat all of Uncle Ez's jelly tarts?"

"Of course!"

Rayla stood up and ruffled Sera's hair. "Well if we're all in agreement."

They descended the hill, heading back towards the rebuilt castle of Katolis.

* * *

When Rayla and Callum decided to stay, decisions left on the back-burner had to be finalized. Aaravos was imprisoned again, but by the next morning he was gone. While Corvus was sent after him, no one ever found a trace of the startouch elf. Claudia didn't blame anyone for Viren's death, other than Viren himself, but mourned him all the same. She left Duren as it held too much grief for her now. Perhaps one day she would return, but not anytime soon.

Sera's moon arcanum and the implications behind it gave Ezran and Aanya an idea. On the next full moon, they called a meeting of the kings and queens of the Pentarchy. By then Rayla was well enough to travel, and she, Callum, and Sera would be officially presented to the rest of the human kingdoms. Ezran hoped the issues of succession would be overshadowed by the magical elephant in the room, but that wasn't the case. Something far greater stole the other leaders' attention.

Aanya's guess had been correct. Sera may have been the first, or one of the first, but she was far from the only child born with an arcanum. By the time the meeting of the Pentarchy came, rumors had already spread of elven newborns in Xadia with arcana and of human infants that had less noticeable but still unexplained connections with the primal sources. Newborn magical creatures, including dragons, showed signs of possessing arcana too.

There were only a handful of such cases that could be confirmed, Sera included, yet it seemed more were born each day. It had no benefit in the war, as none of the arcanum-possessing children were older than a few months at the most. Xadia and the Pentarchy called a temporary ceasefire to focus on the return of magic. Negotiates occurred on the border, where Callum and Rayla got to work.

They shared their story to both governments. Some were moved, others indifferent. Most kept the status quo and gave no opinion. Even still, minds slowly began to change. They continued to spread their message of peace and coexistence while Ezran oversaw the demilitarization of New Katolis and Xadia's borders. Peace continued long after the 'temporary' truce expired. Both side's infrastructure and armies were exhausted, neither was keen to reignite the conflict.

As for the future of Katolis, Ezran promised to find a wife as soon as possible. Whenever a noble or council member asked why no progress had been made, he would say he was working on it and joke that perhaps Sera being the heir apparent wasn't such a terrible idea. As the years passed, the council stopped treating it as a joke. Ezran did eventually marry, but he did so for himself, long after he was certain that Sera would be welcomed as a potential crown princess if the need ever arose.

Five years after magic came back, the kingdom of Katolis was renewed. Ezran proposed a daring plan to encourage the tenuous peace. Old Katolis would be resettled, but not just by humans. It would be the first human and elf integrated territory. In exchange much of New Katolis returned to Xadian ownership. The other kingdoms weren't enthused with the idea, but Ezran justified it as a way to ensure Katolis was reclaimed and its people given a home again, even if they shared it with elves. Inevitably they were growing pains, but order prevailed. Many were just too tired after the war for any further hatred. Eventually Claudia returned to Katolis, and brought with her a family of her own.

Duren remained Katolis' most steadfast ally. Even once Katolis was reclaimed, Aanya insisted that Ezran and his family were always welcome. They visited at least once a year. This was the world Sera grew up in. In some ways it lacked from that of her parents and uncle and honorary aunts. In other ways it was far better.

Callum reflected on that during their walk back to the castle. It had been a long, strange trip and it wasn't over. A new generation of mages and magical creatures would inherit the world. Coexistence was a concept Xadia and the Pentarchy were still adjusting to. A lot of work was ahead of them. But they were up for it.

"Ezran was right," Callum told Rayla while Sera ran ahead.

"About what? Ez's right about a lot of things, be specific."

"That it had a happy ending."

* * *

_**Well, that took longer than expected. Aside from being twice as many chapters as I'd originally planned, this finale proved tricky. The confrontation with Viren went through multiple iterations. Originally Aaravos killed him himself. Then I thought Claudia would fit better, but I couldn't think of a reason for Aanya or Ezran to request her presence in a "need to know" situation since no one was in need of medical attention. Ultimately I realized it was best for Rayla (with a minor contribution from Callum) to save Sera her/themselves. I also wrestled with the ending, including having very nearly ended it with Callum and Rayla not staying but I went for a happier finale.**_

_**I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorit-ed, or put the story on their alert list. Thanks you all.**_


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